A Quick Review of Basic Concepts in
Science, Systems, Matter, and
Energy
G. Tyler Miller’s
Living in the Environment
14th Edition
Chapter 3
Key Concepts
Science as a process for understanding
Components and regulation of systems
Matter: forms, quality, and how it
changes; laws of matter
Energy: forms, quality, and how it
changes; laws of energy
Nuclear changes and radioactivity
The Nature of Science
Science is an attempt to
discover order in the
natural world and use
the knowledge to
describe what is likely
to happen in nature
• GOAL: to increase our
understanding of our
world
• Based upon the
scientific process
The Nature of Science
Can you give a real
world example in
which science has
increased our
understanding of the
natural world?
The Nature of Science
Three critical components
to any “good science”
1) Skepticism: Do not
believe what you see until
verified
2) Reproducible: data and
results should be able to
be done over and over
3) Peer Review: other
scientists must review
work
Science, and Critical Thinking
Ask a question
 Scientific data
 Scientific hypotheses:
IF…THEN…BECAUSE…
 Scientific (natural) laws
 Scientific theories
 Consensus science
 Frontier science
 Junk Science
Do experiments
and collect data
Interpret data
Formulate
hypothesis
to explain data
Well-tested and
accepted patterns
In data become
scientific laws
Do more
Experiments to
test hypothesis
Revise hypothesis
if necessary
Well-tested and
accepted
hypotheses
become
scientific theories
Fig. 3-2 p. 33
The Nature of Science
Scientists can do 2 major things:
1) Disprove things
2) Can establish that a particular
model, theory, or law has a high
degree of certainty of being true.
NOT ABSOLUTELY TRUE
Scientists should not say “Cigarettes
Cause Cancer” but can say
“There is overwhelming evidence
from thousands of studies that
indicate a relationship between
cigarette usage and lung cancer”
Key Environmental Science Concept
Any action in a complex
system has multiple,
unintended, and often
unpredictable effects.
Most environmental impacts
we face today are a result
of trying to increase the
quality of human life.
Examples????
Matter: Forms, Structure, and Quality
What do these terms mean?
Elements
Compounds
Atoms
Ions
Molecules
Atoms
Subatomic Particles
Protons
Neutrons
Electrons
Atomic Characteristics
Isotopes
Atomic number
Carbon # 6, Uranium # 92
Hydrogen 1, 2 and 3
Atomic mass
Ion
Uranium 235
Lost or gained e-
Examples of Isotopes
Fig. 3-5 p. 40
pH
Measures acidity or alkalinity of water
samples
Scale 0 – 14
Acids: 0 – 6.9
Neutral 7.0
Alkaline (Basic) 7.1 – 14
Chemical Bonds
Chemical formulas
Ionic bonds
Covalent bonds
Organic Compounds: CARBON
Organic vs. inorganic compounds
Hydrocarbons
Chlorinated hydrocarbons
Simple carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates
Proteins
Nucleic acids
The Four States of Matter
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Plasma
Matter Quality and Material Efficiency
 High-quality matter
 Low-quality matter
 Material efficiency
(resource productivity)
Fig. 3-8 p. 43
Energy
 Definition: Capacity to do “work” and
transfer heat
Types:
Kinetic
Potential
Radiation: Energy & Wavelength
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Some energy travels in waves at the speed of light
Fig. 3-9 p. 44
Transfer of Heat Energy
Convection
Heating water in the bottom of a pan
causes some of the water to vaporize
into bubbles. Because they are
lighter than the surrounding water,
they rise. Water then sinks from the
top to replace the rising bubbles.This
up and down movement (convection)
eventually heats all of the water.
Conduction
Heat from a stove burner causes
atoms or molecules in the pan’s
bottom to vibrate faster. The vibrating
atoms or molecules then collide with
nearby atoms or molecules, causing
them to vibrate faster. Eventually,
molecules or atoms in the pan’s
handle are vibrating so fast it
becomes too hot to touch.
Radiation
As the water boils, heat from the hot
stove burner and pan radiate into the
surrounding air, even though air
conducts very little heat.
Heat: total kinetic energy of all moving atoms in a
substance.
Energy: Quality (ability to do work)
High-quality
energy
Low-quality
energy
Fig. 3-12 p.46
Changes in Matter
 Physical: composition
unchanged (water and steam)
Chemical: change in the composition of
elements or compounds.
Chemical Changes or Reactions
Fig. In text p. 47
The Law of Conservation of Matter
Matter is not destroyed
Matter only changes form
There is no “throw away”
Matter and Pollution
 Chemical nature of pollutants
 Concentration
 Persistence
 Degradable (nonpersistent) pollutants
 Biodegradable pollutants
 Slowly degradable (persistent) pollutants
 Nondegradable pollutants
Half-life
Fig. 3-13, p. 49
Nuclear Reactions
Fission
Fig. 3-15 p. 50
Fusion
Fig. 3-16 p. 50
Laws Governing Energy Changes
First Law of Thermodynamics (Energy)
 Energy is neither created nor destroyed
 Energy only changes form
 You can’t get something for nothing
ENERGY IN = ENERGY OUT
Laws Governing Energy Changes
Second Law of Thermodynamics
 In every transformation, some energy is
converted to heat (lost)
 You cannot break even in terms of
energy quality
As we study environmental science
always remember these few basic
scientific concepts.